Mar 25, 2008 | By Scott Burgess | Picks Articles Archive
The battle for the top of the Northwest Division heats up with the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames meeting three times in their final seven games. The Flames won the last meeting 2-1 in Calgary and Vancouver has won four of the last five meetings. BetJamaica.com has the Flames as 115-moneyline home favs over the Canucks with the over/under listed at 5. Get your NHL Pick in now at BetJamaica.com
GAME: Vancouver Canucks (38-27-1-9) at Calgary Flames (39-27-7-3)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, March 25 - 9:00 PM EST
LINE: BetJamaica.com TOTAL: 5
PICK: Calgary -115
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The Canucks have won six of their last nine games, but were unable to secure their fourth straight win. They lost 1-2 to Northwest leading Minnesota. Sami Salo scored a power-play goal, while Roberto Luongo made 19 saves for Vancouver. They had six penalties for a second straight game and their penalty kill has allowed only one goal in three games or 16 kills. The Canucks have been able to average 2.40 GAG in their last five and their power play has only one goal in two games. Goalie Roberto Luongo has won six of his last ten starts for a 2.00 GAA. The Canucks sit in third place in the Northwest Standings and are in seventh place in the Western Playoff race, just two points back from Calgary and three back from Minnesota. They are 18-15-0-5 away from home. The Canucks are 4-1 SU against Calgary.
The Flames sit sixth in the West and has six games remaining to clinch its fourth consecutive playoff berth. They are one point back from Northwest leading Minnesota but after a 0-2 road loss to Colorado, it favors Vancouver. The Flames have averaged 2.20 GAG in their last five and their power play has been scoreless in two straight. They’ve allowed 2.40 GAG as Miikka Kiprusoff hasn’t been playing well, going 1-3-1 with a 3.51 GAA versus the Canucks. Kiprusoff, who is 3-2-0 with a 2.47 GAA in his last five overall starts, stopped 22 of 24 shots before he was replaced by Curtis Joseph in Calgary's 2-0 loss at Colorado on Monday. On defense they’ve allowed only one goal on their penalty kill in four games. Jarome Iginla leads the team with 48 goals and 91pts, third-most in the NHL, and had eight goals and four assists in seven games before Monday's loss. Iginla has been kept off the scoresheet twice in five meetings this season against the Canucks. The Flames are 20-10-7-2 at home and 14-21 over/under on home ice.
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The Bottom Line: It’s going to be a smash up style game with great goaltending. Expect a low scoring game with the Flames getting the home win. Get your NHL Pick in now at BetJamaica.com
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